Medusa

Posted on July 10, 2019

Medusa sketch, 12×16,” oil on gold leaf canvas, 2019As the story goes, Medusa was a beautiful maiden minding her own business, when along comes Poseidon and rapes her in the temple of Athena. Athena is enraged and transforms Medusa’s hair into snakes and gives her an ugly face that will petrify onlookers. King Polydectes sent the hero Perseus to get Medusa’s head, and Athena helped Perseus by giving him a mirrored shield, which he used to look into in order to slay Medusa. Throughout history she has been known as a monster but things are starting to change. She’s actually the perfect representation of female rage and conjures up real life examples of blaming rape victims.